Thill-coupling.



T. w. DIX.

THILL COUPLING. APPLICATION mam MAY 2. 1901.

906,51 6. Patented Dec. 15, 19084 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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T. W. DIX.

THILL OOUPLING. APPLICATION FILED my 2. 1907.

906,5 1 6, Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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T. W. DIX.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 2. 1907.

906,5 1 6. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THURMAN W. DIX, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

THILL-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THURMAN WV. DIX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Burlington, in the county of Chittenden, State of Vermont,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lhill-Couplings;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to thill couplings and has for its primaryobject to provide a simple construction of this nature which, althoughit will securely hold the thills of a vehicle, may be readily operatedto release the same.

The invention further has for its obj oct to provide a device of thisnature which will automatically lock to hold the thills the use of setscrews and the like being in this manner avoided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the devicein use and showing in dotted lines the position of parts when thecoupling is open, Fig. 2 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectionalview through a portion of the coupling, Fig. 3 is a top plan viewthereof, parts of the device being broken away, Fig. 4 is a similar viewto Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified form of the invention, Fig. 5 is asimilar view showing another modification of the same, Fig. 6 is ,a planview showing a still further modification and, Fig 7 is a detail planview of a modified form of thill iron.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral 6 denotes thefront axle of a vehicle and 7 the thills which are coupled by means ofmy thill couplings. Each or the said couplings comprises a yoke clip 8which includes the usual spaced arms 9 which are threaded at their lowerend for the engagement therewith of nuts 10, the clip being engaged uponthe axle 6 and held therein by the said nuts 10 and a plate 11 which isinterposed between the under side of the axle and the said nuts.

Upon one of the s aced arms 9 of the clip is formed a forward yextending lug which is provided at its straight upper edge and adjacentthe point of junction with the said arm, with an apertured ear 13 whichis located between spaced apertured ears 14 formed on a cap member 15,the said cap member being hinged to this forwardly extending lug bySpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 871,476.

means of a pintle pin 16 which is engaged through the apertures in thecars '13 and H. The meeting edges of the lug and cap member are recessedsemi-circularly as at 17 and the wall of each recess is grooved as at 18for a purpose to be hereinafter stated, it being obvious that when thecap is resting upon the lug, a circular opening is formed by thereeesses.

To the thill 7 is bolted or otherwise socured a thill iron '19 andprojecting laterallv fronr this thill iron is a stud 20 which is flangedas at .21 intermediate its outer end and the plate 19 upon which it isformed. When the thills are coupled with the vehicle.

the stud 20 is engaged in the opening formed,

by the recesses in the lug l2 and its cap member 15 with the flange 2']seated in the groove 18, the said flange serving to prevent lateralmovement of the thill iron and its d isengagement from the coupling.

In order to hold the cap member against movement, a plate 22 is hingedby means of a pin 23, passing through an opening near the lower forwardedge of the lug, and this hinge plate is provided at its upper and f roeend with a lateral extension 24 which is arranged to overlie the capmember 15 when the same is resting upon the lug. The said cap member isprovided upon its upper edge with a shoulder 25 and secured at one ofits ends to the extension 2 1 and resting in a recess 26 in the upperface of the said extension is a spring catch 27 which is also providedat its end with an engaging lip 28 for engagement with the shoulder 25,there being also a finger piece 29 formed upon the said end of thespring catch whereby the same may be lifted from engagement with theshoulder 25 to release the thill.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. l, the parts corresponding tothose in the pre ferred form are indicated by the same referencenumerals with the addition of the letter a. An opening 30 is formedthrough the lug 12 and through the opening 30 is engaged one end of ayoke member 31 which is substantially rectangular in form and which isadapted for engagement at its opposite end over the finger piece 29 toprevent move ment of the cap member 15 and in this form of the inventionthe arm 24 is formed integral with the cap member 15 and the arm isomitted.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, the parts correspondingwith those in the preferred form are indicated by the same referencenumerals with the addition of the letter b and in this form of theinvention a yoke member 32 which is identical in construction with theyoke member 31 shown in Fig. 4, is engaged between the upper end portionof the clip 8 and the corresponding portion of the vehicle aXle. In thisform of the invention the parts, with the exception of the yoke member32 are identical in construction and arrangement with those shown in thepreferred form.

I have found it expedient under some cir cumstances to use strapsinstead of yoke members above referred to and for this purpose I providea pair of bails 33 which are hingedly connected one with the arm 24 andthe other with the clip 8 by means of suitable attaching plates 34 whichmay be welded, riveted or otherwise secured to the said arm and clip. Astrap 35 is engaged through the said bails and includes a buckle 36 bymeans of which it may be tightened to hold the arm in position toprevent accidental swinging of the cap member. I have also found itexpedient to use a thill iron of the construction shown in Fig. 7 undercertain circumstances, the said thill iron comprising a body portion 36which has one of its ends forked to form spaced portions 37 which areconnected at their ends by means of the integral stud 38 having anannular flange 39, the spaced members 37 being arranged to lie upon theopposite sides of the coupling and the flange 39 in the groove formed inthe body portion of the coupling and its cap member.

Nhat is claimed, is

In a thill coupling the combination with a clip having a forwardlyextending lug, of a cap pivotally secured to said clip, having anupwardly extending shoulder, a plate hinged at its lower end to theforward lower edge of said lug, the upper end of said plate being bentat an angle to overlie said cap, a spring catch secured to said plate tolatch over said shoulder, and a thill iron removably held between saidlug and cap.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

THURMAN W. DIX.

I/Vitnesses CHARLES E. ALLEN, HERBERT B. SMALL.

